


Twiblight

by Trojanphoenix



Category: Dragon Age: Origins, Twilight - Meyer
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Multi, Parody
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-06-02
Updated: 2010-06-15
Packaged: 2017-10-09 21:05:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 15,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/91615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trojanphoenix/pseuds/Trojanphoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cullen Edwards is a Templar with a dark sparkly secret. Bella Amell is a mediocre mage who reads easy books and falls down a lot. Will they be able to conquer the darkness togethe, or will Cullen succumb to his dark nature and omn nom nom on Bella's soul?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Cullen Edwards was given to the Templars as a babe, no one knew his true origins. He was a sensitive child who struggled with the discipline he was taught. He was also introverted and some called him agoraphobic, for he never went outside unless he was forced to. As he grew up, he grew only paler, his skin translucent, his reddish brown hair looked dark against it.

He believed the words of the chant but until she came to the tower, he was never tested. She was but a child, but her face filled his thoughts, and she smelled so good. Every day was a struggle against his nature, every day he was tempted to break the promise he had sworn to the Revered Mother long ago. Giving in would not only mean her death, but his as well.

He watched her grow up and his awareness of her blossomed into a far darker desire. At night he would creep into the student dormitory and watch her sleep. Her skin was as pale as his own, but her wild hair was as dark as his eyes, those windows to his tormented and beautiful soul. Her breath smelled sweet and her smelled even sweeter. Cullen knew he was just torturing himself, there could never been anything between them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bella Amell was an ordinary girl, not tall, not fat. She liked to read books that were required reading in Orlesian finishing schools. She came from an ordinary family and wore hand-me-down robes. She also tripped over a lot and fell down the stairs every time she tried to use them. There were a lot of stairs in the tower so she got bruised a lot.

Life in the tower was boring to her, it was a very small community compared to living in Denerim. It was small, little, diminutive, petite and did we mention small? Bella found the tower boring, tedious, dreary, mind-numbing, tiresome and humdrum. The other mages were shallow or old and boring, what kind of environment was this for a growing young girl who dreamed of love?

The Templars frightened her, they were always there in the background, watching them. They made no noise when they moved, despite the heavy armour they wore. And Cullen was the worst of them, his dark eyes were always on her, she was sure that he was thinking of killing her should she fail her exams.

The time of her harrowing approached, just thinking about it made her fall over and scrape her knees. She was afraid, more of the Templars than the demons, though her spell casting was also rather weak. She entered the fade and talked the big strong manly spirits into protecting her from the demon, while she whittled away at it with her one offensive spell.

When she awoke Cullen was there sitting in the corner of the dorm room, her eyes grew large at the sight of him crouching there. He saw that she was awake and grew paler, if that were even possible. "You survived," he said.

"Yes," Bella said.

"Oh," Cullen said.

"I know," Bella said.

"Why?" Cullen said.

"Because I..." Bella tried to explain.

Cullen grew even paler and ran out of the room.

Bella's face crumpled in a way that showed vague emotional dismay but was still aesthetically pleasing: "Oh Cullen, I wish you could talk to me!" She whispered, conveniently forgetting she was terrified of him.


	2. Chapter Two

Cullen had tried to tell himself that he would be able to  do the deed impartially should it have become necessary. He had lied, told himself that killing her would be like killing any other mage gone wrong. But deep down inside his cold dark heart he knew he would have taken a sick joy in killing her. That was why he should stay away from her, yet he was so fraught with concern after her harrowing that he stayed and watched over her.

Cullen stripped off his breastplate, his paler than pale skin almost milk white. He poured a bucket of water over his beautiful chest, rivulets of the liquid flowing across his abdominal muscles. He looked like a perfectly carved statute, hewn by angels. His hair inexplicably flopped across his forehead seeming to be far longer when wet for no apparent reason. He was too perfect for this world so it was a shame that no one was there to witness him in his full dripping wet glory, other than the mouse peeking out of the nearby mouse hole.  The effect was only slightly ruined by the fact he was wearing what amounted to a battle skirt.

"I must conquer this, I must conquer _her_," Cullen muttered to himself as the water dripped across his pale skin. He began to do stretches that showed off his muscles more for no real reason. His nipples were almost as pale as the rest of him and did we mention that every bare gleaming inch of his revealed skin was bare of hair? He never seemed to actually shave or wax anything, but the only body hair he had was on his face. We won't speculate on what he looked like beneath the battle skirt because this is supposed to be aimed at teenage girls.

He couldn't deny himself the truth any longer, he wanted her and it was _wrong_. He wanted to _do_ things to her, bad sick naughty wrong things, like put his pee-pee in her no-no place. It was against the teachings, against the Maker. It couldn't be a normal feeling, he wasn't sure if he wanted to love her... or eat her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bella was depressed and, as she was a teenage girl, it was the worstest thing ever that could ever happen to anyone, like. She had every reason to be happy, she was young and had just passed her mage harrowing, but she was just so sad. The fact that Cullen hadn't wanted to talk to her made her wonder if there was something awfully wrong with her and that was why he didn't want to talk to her. Was she really that awful? Sure, she was a mage and thus cursed to possess foul and unnatural powers and one slip would lead to demonic possession and certain death at the hands of those she lived with and dared call friends even though earlier in the story she was terrified of them. But was being a mage really all that bad?

She looked at her reflection in the mirror: She had a nose-shaped nose and hair-coloured hair. How awful, who could ever love a girl like _that?_ No wonder Cullen ran away from her. A single tear rolled down her pale skin. Had anyone who ever lived ever know such exquisite misery as what she suffered?

She wiped her face and returned to reading _Lothering Heights,_ her favourite novel. Maybe one day she'd meet a tall dark and dangerous man who would sweep her off her feet and keep her safe from all the dark dangerous things the world contained. It would sure beat living in an isolated tower prison, that's for sure.


	3. Chapter Three

Bella was trying to read the book when suddenly a cacophony of awfulness resonated through the dormitories.

_"CRAWLING IN MY SKIN, THESE WOUNDS THEY WILL NOT HEAL!"_

"Jowan, quit it," Bella snapped, slamming the book shut.

"You just don't understand my pain, Bella," Jowan said.

Bella rolled over and faced him. As usual his hair was dyed dark black and completely obscured his right eye. He was very pale and his eyelids were heavily covered with black makeup. His sorry attempt at facial hair was straggly and gross.

"What pain's that exactly?" Bella asked, rolling her eyes.

"The eternal pain of living without my heart's one true desire..."

"Cookies?"

"Love."

"Oh, right."

"I wrote a poem last night," Jowan said, brushing his hair out of his eye for a bit. "Oh love, you dead bird that cannot fly. Oh love, you unwrapped slightly sticky humbug of mediocrity. Oh love, you shattered mirror that cuts my soul to pieces. Such a bright flower that blooms in the desert of my heart, you have ensnared my senses."

"Wow that was like, really deep, Jowan, but aren't poems supposed to well... rhyme?" Bella asked.

Jowan scoffed: "Oh Bella, no true artist conforms to silly conventions like rules, it just stifles our fragile hearts."

"So who's the lucky lady?" Bella asked.

"She is my muse, my paragon."

"You're dating a dwarf? Eww," Bella made a face.

"No no, it's Lily, the chantry sister."

"But she's like a nun, or whatever," Bella pointed out, "and there are all those rumours about you."

"What rumours?" Jowan asked.

"That you're a blood mage,"

"Oh for the Maker's sake Bella, not everyone who's emo cuts themselves! That's just a stereotype!"

"But still, an emo goth and straight edge chantry chick? That's a bit weird, Jowan."

"Speaking of weird, I saw Cullen doing exercises in the courtyard, whatever did you say to him to get him all riled up?"

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

"We've all noticed the way he looks at you, I just assumed you two were dating."

"What? He barely even talks to me and he has a mole, Jowan! A MOLE!"

"Well Lily has stretch marks and a pimple on her butt, but true love doesn't care about that kind of thing. People should love you for who you are, as long you're not fat or unpopular."

"That is sooo deep... you really think Cullen likes me?" Bella smiled. "He's a templar, he's not supposed to be interested in people."

"And Lily was forced to take a vow of chastity. We're teenage mages, rules are for breaking!"

"You think I should... ask Cullen out?" Bella wondered. "But boys are supposed to ask girls, not the other way around and anyway, he's too perfect for someone like me."

"Five minutes ago you were complaining that he had a mole!"

"I don't deserve someone so perfect, I'm just Bella, just me."

Jowan stood up and walked into a wall: "I wish I had depth perception, but you have to make sacrifices for beauty. If I didn't look this good people would treat me like every other schmuck."

"Jowan, you are everybody's buttmonkey," Bella pointed out as Jowan lolloped  away. Once he had gone away he thoughts returned to Cullen. If he liked her, why did he run away from her, why was he afraid to talk to her?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Greagoir scowled at Cullen, his brows knotting together like hairy caterpillars in a frenzy of mating, never mind the fact that caterpillars don't mate. Each one of his features was schooled for sternness. Greagoir was not a happy bunny, no siree.

"Listen to me you scum," Greagoir said unpleasantly to establish himself as an unpleasant character because Cullen was clearly way too pretty to be addressed as "scum", especially by someone who was not so hot himself.

"What have I done wrong, ser?" Cullen asked, with just a slight hint of contempt on the last word, establishing himself as a cool S.O.B rebelling against the stodgy old school teachers, I mean... Templars.

"Don't play dumb with me, boy!" Greagoir said in a patronising way that further established him as big ole meanypants. "You know damn well what's going on and I want it stopped, you hear?"

Cullen spread his arms helplessly. "How can I stop doing something when I don't know what it is?" He pointed out being rather uncharacteristically reasonable.

"You and that Bella creature!" Greagoir said, turning an unattractive colour of purple. "That clumsy insipid girl child! I'm not blind, you fool"

"Don't talk about Bella that way!" Cullen said, with more animosity than he had previously displayed.

"She's a mage, they're all the same! Wanton, devilish creatures, cursed with ungodly powers! They are sent to test us, should any one of us fall they would run amok throughout the land!"

"She is not like that!" Cullen said and before he had realised it he had crossed the distance between them in two great strides and lifted Greagoir clean off the ground. With seemingly no effort he hoisted the other Templar, who was wearing a full set of plate armour, against the wall and pinned him there.

Greagoir looked surprised and worried, but then his features slid into a satisfied smirk. "So it's true what they say about you? Does she know what you are? Would she welcome you to her bed and bosom knowing all you can do and all you've done?"

Cullen stared wildly and let Greagoir slide down the wall and regain his footing once more. "She doesn't know, she can't know. She'd hate me..." He muttered and ran out of the tower, into the rain.


	4. Chapter Four

Bella stared out of the closed window at the rain that fell from the sky. She'd been moved from the dormitories and now had her own room, but she wasn't happy. She'd been looking everywhere for Cullen and she couldn't find him. She'd fallen down every staircase and broken both of the sensible heels off her sensible shoes. Where could he be? He was usually lurking in the shadows nearby. Typical that when she wanted nothing to do with him he was close by and now when she wanted him, he was nowhere to be seen.

It was really coming down out there, Bella wished she had a poetic soul like Jowan because she'd know how to describe it better, but there was nothing special about her soul. How awful to be so ordinary. She had a sudden mental image of Cullen out there in the rain. It made no sense, why would he go out in the pouring rain?

Yet the nagging image wouldn't leave her. She rose, intending to find one of the Senior Enchanters, perhaps they would know where Cullen was. At the top of the stair she heard a voice speaking, startled she slipped and began to roll down the staircase, her bum and head banging down every step of the way.

She lay at the bottom of the staircase in a crumpled and slightly bruised heap, but the voices took no notice of her.

"What do you mean he went out?" That was the old lady Wynne speaking, she was old and boring so Bella didn't pay much attention.

"I'm telling you, Cullen went out into the storm!" Greagoir said. Bella didn't like Greagoir he was mean and strict and had sinister facial hair.

"He just left, you didn't provoke him somehow?" The old bat asked.

"He lost his temper, seemed upset about something. He always was a strongly impassioned boy, his lack of control is unseemly in a Templar."

"Does his lack of control reflect badly on him or just his master?" Wynne asked.

"Grrr," Greagoir grrred.

Bella's eyes went all wide and white and her mouth made an o-shape. Cullen had stormed off into the storm, oh noes! Didn't he realise that he could get _wet_? Didn't he realise the dangers he was getting in to? She had to rescue him, to try at least, even it might mean she got wet too!

She bolted out of the tower, despite the fact that there were normally armed Templars on the door and that they normally didn't let anyone out without express permission. They were on a tea break or something, I don't know. Anyway, Bella ran out into the wet wild moorlands of the island, quickly becoming soaked, both from the rain and running through the knee-high grass.

"Cullen!" She cried, her voice drowned out by the sound of the rain. "CUUUUUULEEEEEN!" She coughed and choked out the word, wind and rain making her hair wild.

Her foot slipped in the wet grass and before she knew what was happening she was tumbling again. Her leg snapped with a sickly sound and she cried out in pain and surprise and alarm and fear and surprise and fear and surprise and alarm. She came to rest at the foot of slight gorge and there was no way she could get out by herself, she didn't even start levitation classes until senior year and she flunked every healing class she'd ever taken! Oh noes, whatever was she to do?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cullen's nostrils twitched dramatically as he scented the air. There was something carried to him in the wind, a scent more vital that of the wild water, more precious than life itself. It was the scent of blood, and not just any blood, it was _her_ blood.

Cullen's hands shook as he tried to suppress his terrible dark hunger and desire for _her_. She was close by and hurting, he was drawn to her pain. He wanted to savour it, to taste her on his lips and tongue, to drink from her until she was dry.

"No," he growled, deep in his alabaster throat. He would not do that, he would not become _that_. If she was hurt he would bring her help, that was all. He followed the smell of her on the wind, forgetting all about the pain that had brought him out here in the first place. He wondered why she was out here, was it possible she had followed him?

He found her crumpled at the base of a small gorge with her leg bend in a weird strange angle. She was bleeding and the bone was protruding from the wound in a really icky way. Cullen swallowed hard and tried to block out the smell of her blood and her own personal scent that made him thirst for her so much. He bend over her and brushed her hair away from her face.

She saw him, her skin very pale, even besmirched with soil from her long tumble.  "Cullen," she muttered, "it huuuurts."

"It's broken," Cullen muttered, his eyes almost gleaming in the darkness. Strange, Bella thought, they looked almost golden.

"It hurts!"

"I know."

"Owww!"

"I can't move you like this."

"It hurts!"

"I will have to reset the bone, then I can carry you back. That's what they always do in these situations in stories, just assume I know what I'm talking about."

"Carry me?" Bella almost swooned at the thought of Cullen carrying her in his big strong manly arms, as though she was something precious and fragile.

Cullen tried not to think bad thoughts as he reached for her leg.

_Oh by the Maker, he touched me!_ Bella thought as Cullen's pale and beautiful fingers touched her torn and ravaged flesh. Then he yanked her leg so hard she screamed: "CUUUUUULEEEEEN!!!"

"Don't do that," he muttered.

"Don't... ow! Don't do what?"

"Don't scream my name, it makes it hard to think straight." He gave her leg another yank and Bella was suddenly floating, everything all blurred together. She was floating far away from Cullen and herself and the last thing she saw were his indescribably beautiful eyes glowing molten gold.


	5. Chapter Five

She was floating far away from herself in a plane of darkness. _The Fade_, she realised, _just like in the Harrowing._ She felt no connection to her body, she was let loose from it to soar throughout the ethereal. She walked through the mist, looking for the way back to herself.

And realised she was not alone.

There was someone walking through the mist towards her. The closer they got the more agitated Bella became. What if it were a demon, she had no way of protecting herself like this. Her one offensive spell wouldn't kill anything outright and there was no one here to save her, no strong spirits to hide behind this time.

But what came though the otherworldly mist of the fade was not a demon, it was not even a spirit. It was... herself. Bella stared in incredulous wonder at her double, who was exactly like her in every way, except for the eyes. The other Bella had eyes of pure darkness, no iris, no whites, there was nothing but blackness from lid to lid.

"Who are you?" Bella asked.

"_I am you,_" The other Bella replied.

"But you have really weird eyes, do you wear contacts?" The original Bella asked.

"_I am the you that exists in the mind of the world that is yet to be born,_" The doppelganger replied.

"Huh?" Bella One said.

"_Oh for... I am one vision of a possible future. A future you that may yet come into being._" Bella Two said.

"So... I'm going to get contacts then?" Actual Bella asked.

"_No, you are going to have to make choices Bella, and people will live or die by your words." _ Blood started to seep from the Not!Bella's dark eyes.  "_I made poor choices," _she continued as wounds in her arms opened up and bled copiously, "_I cannot save myself, but I can at least try to warn you._"

"Eww, blood!" Bella exclaimed in an exclamatory manner. "I'm gonna pass out!"

The Not!Bella smiled as blood ran in torrents from every pore in her skin, every orifice in her flesh. She was all crimson and melted away as the One True Bella lost her grip on the Fade and began to fall back into herself.

She was being carried, held tightly and yet lightly in someone's strong arms. Whoever was carrying her was treating her like a precious and delicate object. It was a romantic notion to her, to be carried swooning in the arms of a big strong man. Bella hoped it was a big strong man who was carrying her and not Wynne or somebody because that was like the opposite or romantic or whatever.

Bella felt fingers brush gently across her face, she knew that touch. Of course, it had to be Cullen that was carrying her, who else could have rescued her from her awful predicament of falling into a two foot gully? She wanted to squirm with embarrassment and pleasure but it hurt too much to move.

She was being put down gently and his touch receded from her. "Nooo.... Cullen... don't... leave..." She mumbled.

"I'm not going anywhere... Bella," Cullen whispered in her ear. It was the first time he had called her by name. Bella closed her eyes and blissed out to oblivion, feeling utterly safe with him. What harm could she possibly come to when her dark Templar angel watched over her?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cullen shuddered, not from the cold, though he was soaked to the bone, but from suppressed desire and self-revulsion. Bella was such a pure soul, he observed, stroking her sleeping face. She was entirely too trusting, stubborn and faithful to a flaw. The way she had stupidly ran after him in the storm was endearing, her complete lack of perspective and woeful sense of self-preservation made him smile despite himself. She was like a little lamb, fallen asleep in the lion's arms.

But it was dangerous, he wanted her in every way and her unquestioning trust of him burned him right down to the depths of his cold heart. He prayed for the healers to come and take her away from him, because the longer he kept looking at her milk white neck, the longer he kept stroking her wind-tangled hair, the more he wanted to possess and consume her.

The first person to arrive to answer his hoarse shouts was Wynne. She took in the situation with one glance and her lips went very thin. She called for other healers to take Bella away to clean her wounds and fix her broken leg. When Bella was taken care of, Wynne quickly took Cullen aside.

"I think you'd better tell me what happened to her," Wynne said simply.

"I went out for a walk," Cullen said, keeping his tone neutral.

"In a storm?"

"I like being wet," Cullen said, "Bella came looking for me, I guess she was worried. She fell and I heard her crying out in pain." The memory of the sound made him burn with sudden thirst and he clenched his firsts, driving his nails deep into his palms.

"So it was an accident? It didn't happen while she was say... running away?" Wynne asked, carefully.

"You can ask Bella if you don't believe me, I only brought her in. I don't appreciate being treated as though it were my fault she fell."

"I suppose not," Wynne said, dismissively and walked away.

Cullen opened his hands and slowly, delicately, licked his palms. _But it is my fault, _Cullen thought, _I have to tell her to leave me alone, for her own good. _The blood was salty on his tongue but it did nothing to satiate his hunger.

He walked out into the night, his fingers curled like claws.


	7. Chapter Six

For the second time that night Cullen ran out into the wild storm. His soft white skin was pummelled by the raindrops that sometimes turned to hail. The discomfort was only a mild distraction to his thirst. He didn't dare return to Bella in this state, he had to make sure he could protect her from his darker impulses.

He could smell Bella even out here, even over the rain, the mud and the scents of animals. He felt he could track her down anywhere in Thedas, should he need to. Cullen shook his head, his sodden hair flopping from side to side, he had to stop thinking of her, it was for her own good.

Cullen's nose scented the air, he had picked up the scent of a large doe, a deer, a female deer. His mouth full of saliva, Cullen began to chase down the deer, matching its speed with ease, despite wearing his armour and battle skirt. In a matter of minutes he had caught up to the doe and the leapt, grabbing its sleek back.

The doe struggled wildly in Cullen's tight embrace, he could smell her fear, see the terror in a her gentle eyes. "Forgive me," Cullen muttered, stroking the doe's pelt, "but it  is better that you should die rather than a human. Everyone knows dumb animals are less important than people. It's okay to eat fish 'cos they don't have any feelings."

Cullen fed, slurping slightly as the warm blood trickled down his throat. He tried not to think about Bella, but he couldn't help himself. In his fevered state he held the doe tightly, clutching to it like a lover as he drained the poor creature dry.

The doe died in his arms as he sucked upon a dry artery, a slight shudder ran through the creature as it transitioned from living creature to a cooling meat bag. Cullen licked his hands, which were covered with deer blood, his unnatural thirst was temporarily satiated. But for how long? He had been so tempted when Bella was in his arms.

Covered with soil, blood and rainwater, Cullen made his way back to the tower. He couldn't risk every getting close to Bella again in case he lost control. So he would now go find her and speak to her alone so that he would never have to be alone with her again. It made perfect sense!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bella slowly came round, her leg didn't hurt anymore, the other mages must have fixed it. She was dabbled with bruises all colours of the rainbow and ached like she had ran a long way. But none of those things mattered, what mattered was Cullen had said he wouldn't leave her, yet he was nowhere to be seen.

_He said my name, _Bella thought, _he said my name but he didn't keep his promise._ She was miserable, how could he be so cruel? To say one thing and go another? It was like he had ripped her heart from her chest and played handball with it before slam dunking it into a waste paper basket.

The tears flowed easily, it helped that she stubbed her toe while trying to get out of bed. Bella looked out the small locked window to see that it was night now. Was Cullen still outside? Had she broke her leg for nothing? He hadn't listened, he'd probably gone and gotten wet.

She heard a scrabbling sound outside her room, like a dog's claws on a wooden floor. A demon? A wild mabari? She prepared her one single offensive spell just in case. She knew she was completely helpless to stop anything that was tougher than a nug, but she was a plucky kid and would try even in the face of her complete uselessness.

Her door opened and Bella panicked, firing her arcane bolt at the door. She missed and inhaled to start a shrill scream of female helplessness. But before she could utter the scream that would no doubt bring all kinds of manly rescuers to her air, the thing that entered her room was upon her and covered her mouth with hands that reeked of blood.

She squeaked with muffled surprise when she realised that the wild and dirty thing that was pinning her down was none other than Cullen!  He was covered with soil and dirt and earth and possibly even some loam. His hair was wet and sodden and dripping and mussed up. But Bella didn't mind that much because he was oh gosh lying on top of her and pinning her down to the bed. She felt all tingly in various places that we will only hint at in a teen-rated fic.

"Mmmullen?" Bella mmmed.

"Yes, Bella, it's me," Cullen said, hoarsely as though his voice had been broken by screams.

"Mmm mmm mmmm Mmmth?"

"Promise you won't scream or squeal loudly?" Cullen said, seemingly having no trouble understanding her muffled words.

"Mmmthp!" Bella mmmthped emphatically and Cullen removed his soiled hands from her mouth.

"I'm here to warn you, Bella," Cullen said, still lying on top of her.

"Warn me?" Bella said, proving that even with her mouth uncovered she wasn't adding much to the conversation.

"You must stay away from me," Cullen said.

A more intelligent heroine might point that would be difficult as long as he was lying on top of her, but the best Bella could do was ask "Why?"

"I'm dangerous, Bella," Cullen said.

"I don't mind," Bella said.

"I do," Cullen said and turned his head away from her, rather than meet her eyes.

"How are you dangerous?" Bella asked. "Is it 'cos you're a Templar and I'm a mage? I'm not much of a mage," Bella explained, casting her eyes down demurely, "so the rules shouldn't apply to me!"

"No, Bella, it's not you, it's me," Cullen said, looking deep into her eyes. "I am a horrible creature and you need to stay away from me, because I cannot control myself." He licked his lips with a pale tongue and stared at the blue tracery of veins in Bella's pallid neck.

"I don't believe you," Bella said. "Just because your entire purpose is to kill my kind if we step out of line, it doesn't mean we can't be... together."

"Oh Bella, you are so young and naive and gentle. You have no idea of the darkness and evils of this world, you're like an innocent babe locked away for its own good."

"That's so sweet of you!" Bella said.

Cullen blinked and something in his face changed, one moment he was a rather mopey boy, the next his features had slid into something infinitely more predatory. He leaned forward, his breath smelling of rank decay. Bella realised he was going to kiss her, despite all his words about leaving her alone. She was conflicted because on one hand, eww he was all stinky and covered in death, but on the other, oh em gee a kiss from an actual hottie boy!

At the last moment before their lips actually met, Cullen growled deep in his throat and pull away from her, almost as if he'd been burned. He moved in a blink of an eye and was suddenly on the other side of the room.

"Tomorrow," he said, not looking at Bella.

"Tomorrow?" Bella asked.

"Tomorrow, I'll show you what I really am...." Cullen explained before leaving. _And that will make her hate me, I'll have to kill myself rather than suffer this desire alone, but at least she will be safe. _


	8. Chapter Seven

(Song lyrics pinched from Robin Hood: Men in Tights)

Bella awoke to the sound of songbirds serenading her from her window. Despite the fact that the windows were supposed to be boarded shut to stop mages cleverly levitating to freedom or jumping tragically to their deaths, Bella had no trouble opening the window. The bluebird, ignoring millennia of honed survival instincts, flew through the small glazed aperture and perched upon Bella perfectly scrubbed up knuckles.

"Me me me meeeeeee!" Bella said, whether she was expressing her usual narcissism or warming up was hard to tell.  She immediately launched into a romantic duet with her fluffy avian friend.

"_Where is the one that I love most of all? When will I hear him call Bella Amell? He is the one who can make my life whole, joyful forever more. I've waited so patiently, for a true love. When will he come for me? Where is he? Where is he... oh? Where is the man who carries the key? When will he be with his Bella Amell, Bella Amell? I cannot wait 'til he sets my heart free? Oh when will I know him? When will I see him? When will I hear him say Bella Amell, my love_?"

A large woman entered into Bella's room and said: "Hurry up meine Lady!"

Bella stared at the woman with the inexplicable German accent, much to her chargrin: "Who in the name of heck are you?" Bella asked.

"Entschuldigen Sie bitte," the large lady said, "I appear to be in the wrong story." She excused herself and left.

"That was weird," Bella said to herself as the bluebird flew away, leaving a doodoo on her hand. She washed her hands and began to comb out her hair. Naturally her thoughts turned to Cullen, he said he was going to show her something today. She wondered what it would be and blushed hotly at some of the things her perverted sick devilkin mind imagined.

He obviously had a secret, that much was true, even Bella wasn't completely dense, mostly. Well, a little bit, somewhere in that head full of mush, cobwebs, and rainbows there was a brain, there had to be, right?

"I wouldn't hold your breath," Bella muttered to herself for some reason. Bella should probably know that talking to one's self is a potential sign of madness. "But aren't I the narrator?" Bella asked the open air, in the general direction of the forth wall of her room and apparently not understanding the difference between a first person narrator and third person omniscient narrator. "Whatever," Bella said dismissively to no one in particular and finished brushing her hair.

She tripped her way down the stairs, landing at the bottom with a dull thump. To her surprise and chagrin the main hall was already full of mages and Templars, all apparently making sandwiches. She stared at them until Wynne conveniently walked past and informed her that it was the annual Mage-Templar picnic. A time honoured tradition that made perfect sense.

Wynne soon had our perplexed and flustered heroine hard at work cutting the crusts off innumerable egg and cress sandwiches. Cullen was opposite to her, spreading margarine on many slices of white bread. He was sooo beautiful, Bella noticed, the way he held the knife, the angles it made with the bread, he was a expert at getting it to spread.

Bella, being preternaturally clumsy, and being preoccupied with drooling over her delicious man meat, accidentally let the knife slip. "Oh!" She exclaimed as she nicked the thumb with the bread knife and a tiny trickle of blood came forth. She immediately put her thumb in her mouth to lick away the blood and sooth her grievous hurt.

Her eyes flickered to Cullen's face. He was even paler than usual, his skin looking like bluish marble, his eyes two wheels of molten gold. He was staring fixedly at her as though he had never seen her before. It was a frightening look, that scared her even as it warmed her because it was frightening. His nose twitched and a look of utter horror crossed his face as he recoiled away from Bella as though she were some horrible thing that no one in their right mind would love, which, obviously requires a great deal of imagination to imagine, so we won't expect you all to imagine it. His alabaster skin was beaded with sweat that somehow made him look more attractive, not like that scene in Alien where Ripley leaves streaks behind. Eww.

Bella's porcelain face crumpled in maidenly dismay as Cullen, much to her chagrin, ran out of the room, half bent, as though something in his midriff was paining him. She hoped he was okay and it wasn't something she'd done.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Cullen breathed hard, though he didn't really need to breath, it was a futile attempt to clear the delicious forbidden scent of Bella's young virgin blood that coursed through her succulent veins and arteries like a fine forbidden wine has forbidden to drink because it was forbidden. But it did no good, Cullen knew he could smell Bella's scent anywhere and not because she forgot to bathe sometimes or because she sweated a lot, but because her scent was a unique perfume he would instantly recognise and could track across arctic tundra should he need to.

When he had finally regained some semblance of composure, he turned to the main hall to discover that the rest of the Mages and the Templars had finished preparing the picnics and were now leaving the Circle Tower, the younger mages singing songs about going on a nug hunt, while the Templars sang a guilt racked version of the rather risqué song "Maid of Orlais", the lyrics of which cannot be repeated here and keep the teen rating but we shall disclose that it has the same tune as "Born in the USA".

Cullen remembered that he had promised to tell Bella what he really was, so he caught up with her as she walked out of the main door. The other Mages and Templars were intent upon their picnicking and thus gave the two no mind, though, of course, Greagoir glowered in their general direction.

Bella spread the red and white checked tablecloth on the ground and sat down upon it. Cullen sat on the furthest corner away from her. She offered him an egg and cress sandwich but he declined.

"You know, Cullen, I've never seen you eat," Bella said, her mouth full of mayonnaise.

"I'm a... vegetarian, Bella," Cullen said, watching her over his clasped hands.

"That's cool, I guess you care about the environment a lot then?" Bella asked.

Cullen shrugged and then stared harder at Bella. "I said I had something to show you," he muttered.

"Yes?" Bella inquired.

"Come with me into the woods..." Cullen moved suddenly and was half way across the glade before she saw him move. Bella knew full well that a female Mage and a Templar were not supposed to be alone together, but surely it didn't apply to her? She innocently traipsed off into the trees with him, like a little lamb.

Once they were far enough away from the others, Cullen turned to Bella and took her hands in his own. Bella's heart thumped fast and loud and she had to remind herself to breath. "I have to tell you the truth," Cullen said, his eyes like two gorgeous piss holes in the snow.

"Oh Cullen, you can tell me anything," Bella breathed, her slight bosom heaving with complex and fragile emotions, or you know, sheer wanton lust.

"I... am... seventeen, Bella," Cullen said.

"Huh?" Bella huhed.

"I have been... seventeen for a very long time," Cullen said, trying to explain.

"I don't get it," Bella said.

"I was given to the Circle Tower as a babe-"

"You're still a babe!" Bella interrupted.

"Shut up, dummie," Cullen said, exasperated, "I'm trying to explain important stuff to you."

"I'm sorry," Bella said, her lip a tremble, much to her chagrin.

"I was out on a training exercise when my unit was attacked by dark spawn. The rest of the unit was slaughtered on the spot but instead of killing me... they took me alive. I don't remember anything of my time with them, the next thing I knew I was waking up in the hospital infirmary and I was... changed."

"Changed?" Bella asked.

"Tainted by the dark spawn, Bella. I am not a normal man, the black blood within me forces me to take blood for sustenance.  I must kill to live and that is why you must stay away from me."

Bella stared at Cullen for a moment before speaking: "I don't get it," she said.

"I am a dangerous monster, what else is there to understand? I have been seventeen for ninety years!"

"But I'm a Mage, Cullen, I'm one step away from demonic possession! How are you worse than me?"

"Oh Bella, you're so innocent, let me show you what a monster I truly am." Cullen stepped directly into a patch of sunlight. His skin literally sparkled, like tiny flecks of lyrium dust were embedded in the surface, as though a rather eccentric dwarf had made an enchanted Templar statue. Cullen lay perfectly still, his bare chest showing through his shirt which suddenly seemed to froth with lace for no particular reason. Bella could have sworn he was wearing armour before he stepped into the light, but never mind because he was purty. His chest scintillated like a shiny thing, his arms were incandescent like a fire opal of love.

"Oh Cullen," Bella said, "you are perfect."

"You don't understand, Bella. Whenever I am around you I want to taste your blood. I could never love you, I would only destroy you."

Bella's lip trembled and  two twin crescent moons of water brimmed over her eyes and fell like water drops down her face. Bella ran off tearfully, into the forest.


	9. Chapter Eight

Bella ran into the trees, tears flying off her pale face. You'd have thought that considering what happened to her last time she'd ran off into the wilds without a thought in her head she'd have learn something, but sadly this was not so. She ran wildly, her grief so deep she paid no heed to where she ran, only that she did. How could he have said those things? How could it be true?

But it was true, not only was Cullen carrying a dark secret, he had said he could never love her. It hurt so much, how could she ever look at him again knowing that she was not as dear to him as his face was dear to her. So she ran, though she didn't remember the woods on the circle tower being this deep or this dark.

A sudden howling suddenly rang through the trees and Bella made a crumple face in fear. But the howling sounded like wolves, the teeny tiny rational part of her mind said while her feet focused on getting the gosh darn heck out of there, and there were no wolves on the island. The howling grew in number and volume and naturally Bella tripped on an exposed tree root, falling to her knees as the forest growled all around her.

The last thing she saw before she fainted away in an appropriately maidenly swoon was teeth.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cullen didn't cry, he just sat in the clearing with a vague pained expression on his pale face. It had cost him much to tell Bella the truth, but she had to know she wasn't safe being around him and now she would never dare approach him again. It was for her own good, she was just too innocent and trusting to be allowed near him, it's not like she could be allowed to make up her own mind.

His nose twitched in a fetching manner and then his marble features slid into a vaguely worried expression. He could no longer smell Bella, her trail was clear, but she was out of range of his powerful olfactory senses. That shouldn't be possible, he ought to be able to smell her anywhere on the island.

His brows furrowed together as he followed her trail into the woods. It led only a short way into the small thicket and then just stopped. There was no Bella, no blood, no nothing. She had just vanished without a trace, into thin air. Bella was gone, the girl Bella had disappeared, gone, vanished! Poof!

There was a crashing sound in the thicket behind him and Cullen whirled, ready to fight. It was Greagoir and the other Templars, much to Cullen's chagrin. Greagoir had a smug satisfied look upon his face that made Cullen itch for a fight.

"I saw you and that Bella creature sneak off into the woods!" Greagoir said, obviously having nothing better to do that to stick his nose into the amorous affairs of his charges, it's not like the head Templar had any duties or anything.

"I didn't touch her!" Cullen said defiantly and suddenly seemed to be wearing a leather jacket.

"Then where is little miss Amell?" Greagoir asked.

"She's just... gone," Cullen said, drooping.

"A likely story," Greagoir said as the other Templars laughed sycophantically. "You seduced her with pretty words, got a her alone and then had your wicked way with her, didn't you?" Greagoir asked, his face lifting into the cruel curves of a smile.

"I would never touch her, she is too good, too pure!" Cullen protested, but Greagoir paid him no mind.

"I always knew you'd succumb to your dark nature one day, boy!" Greagoir said, delighted. "It chafed me having you here all these years, knowing that the Revered Mother let an abomination like you exist, let alone pretend to the noble profession of Templar! Well that ends now!"

The other Templars grabbed hold of Cullen and slapped a set of manacles on his wrists, Greagoir always brought manacles to the picnic for party games, naturally. Cullen could have fought off the puny ordinary Templars with ease, but what was the point? He had spurned Bella and now she had vanished, disappeared, gone without a trace, poof!

The other Templars dragged him back to the tower in chains and Greagoir enjoyed the shocked faces of the mages seeing the boy in chains.

"What are you doing?" Wynne asked, her eyes goggling at the sight of Cullen in chains.

"This boy, this wretch, this creature has violated and eaten one of your precious charges!" Greagoir said, foaming at the mouth.

"And where's your proof?" Wynne demanded.

"What proof do we need to execute a monster?" Greagoir said.

"You can't do this, not without a trial!" Wynne protested.

"Oh really, no one's going to speak up in defence of this monster!" Greagoir sneered.

"OBJECTION!" A shrill voice rang out across the courtyard. Everyone turned to look at the man who had spoke.

"I will defend the monster," Jowan said and bowed.


	10. Chapter Nine

Bella groaned as a wet tongue lapped against her face. She slowly opened her eyes and saw nothing but a wet slice of dripping flesh. Then the tongue fell away from her face and the rest of the dog that was fawning over her came into focus. It was a large mabari male, with deep chocolate coloured fur. He pawed at her and whined until Bella patted his head with her pale hand.

She looked around, she was no longer in the forest, but instead seemed to be in some kind of cave. The dog barked once and then bounded away from her out of the cage. "Dog," Bella said stupidly and blinked. She heard the dog bark again and then someone else came into the cave.

Bella's first impression of the newcomer was wowwee, because he was wearing only a dark brown leather loincloth. His naked chest was tanned bronze and rippled with muscles, he was a bit more buff than Cullen, Bella noticed, her cheeks growing warm. _But he doesn't sparkle!_ She protested mutely to herself.

Bella reluctantly wrenched her gaze from the youth's excellent and hairless abdomen and chest and her eyes travelled slowly upwards. The youth had long black flowing hair, with a feather stuck in it for some reason, he was also smiling, revealing the whitest teeth Bella had ever seen, and that included Cullen's perfect pearly set.

"Where did the dog go?" Bella asked, blushing with embarrassment.

 "He's not far away, " The youth said and started laughing for no apparent reason.

"Who are you?" Bella asked.

"My name is Jacob, Jacob Swiftrunner," Jacob said and held out his hand for Bella to shake.

"Bella, Bella Amell," Bella said while shaking his hand, she noticed his fingernails seemed a bit long, but were otherwise impeccable. "I didn't realise there were people on the Circle Tower Island," Bella said, typically dense.

"The Circle Tower Island?" Jacod asked, incredulously. "We are in the Brecilian forest, I found you passed out in the woods."

"But but but...." Bella trailed off uselessly and her bottom lip started to quiver. "But I CAN'T be in the Brecilian Forest, it's on the other side of Ferelden!"

"Well I don't what to tell you Bella, Bella Amell, but you're not in the Circle Tower anymore!"

"You just found me?" Bella asked. "I was running from... something."

"I don't know anything about that," Jacob said, shifting slightly on his feet, his eyes flicking to the right.

"I can't have travelled hundreds of miles without realising it, it's not possible!"

"Aren't you a mage?" Jacob asked, indicating her rather ragged hand-me-down robes with a glance.

"Yes but magic doesn't work like that. It's like a wossaname... a see-saw, you push down on one bit and the other goes up. You can't just go poof and travel hundreds of miles!"

"Well how did you get here then?" Jacob asked, grinning widely.

"I dunno," Bella shrugged, "but I need to get back home. They'll think I've run away and do something horrible to my phylactery."

"Maybe you should talk to the Dalish?" Jacob suggested. "They have mages among them."

"Can you take me to them?" Bella asked.

"They do not like my... kind," Jacob said, not meeting her eyes. "But my dog will guide you until you are in sight of their camp.

"Why don't the elves like you? You seem perfectly nice to me," Bella said.

"It's just some old feud, we stay out of each other's territory, it's just easier that way," Jacob said and Bella didn't notice that he'd skilfully dodged her question. He walked out of the cave and Bella couldn't help but notice the way his buttocks flexed underneath the leather as he walked out.

She followed him outside, but when she got there he was gone. Then a happy bark surprised her and the mabari hound bounded up to her once more. She petted the dog with one hand and yelped with surprise as he lightly head butted her in the crotch.

"Don't get fresh with me, dog," Bella said and put her hands on her hips. "I just want to find the Dalish!"

The mabari barked once and bounded off into the forest, with Bella tagging along behind it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cullen stared at the table, the manacles on his wrists trailing heavily beneath his arms. "I don't understand why you're doing this," he muttered.

Jowan looked at him with his one uncovered eye from across the table: "Everyone has the right to an attorney."

"When did you become a lawyer, mage?" Cullen asked, still staring at nothing in particular.

"I uh... did an overseas correspondence course," Jowan said, running a hand through his black hair.

"It's pointless, Greagoir won't listen to anything you have to say," Cullen said.

"A defence attorney has to believe in his client," Jowan said, "but that's no good if you can't believe in me, or in yourself!" Jowan slammed his hands down onto the table hard, and then said "Ow!"

Cullen looked up from the table with eyes that were orbs of molten gold, spoked with silver. "You don't understand, Bella is gone. Someone took her, snatched her away. There's no trail, no scent, nothing to prove she was taken. It's like she just popped out of existence."

"Well there's no evidence to prove you... ate her either," Jowan pointed out.

"I thought I could track her scent over eternity itself, but I have no idea where she is, or if she's even alive." Cullen glared at Jowan.

"I'm sure Bella is alive, perhaps she was taken by magical means."

Something very like fear crept into Cullen's eyes: "She was fleeing from me when it happened, perhaps she was not taken at all, perhaps she simply escaped?"

Jowan frowned before speaking: "If she's fled the circle, then she will be branded an apostate and hunted down and killed."

"I would rather die than let that happen to her," Cullen said, "Greagoir would love to give the order to eliminate her."

"But if Bella's escaped that means you're innocent!" Jowan protested.

"You doubt my innocence?" Cullen asked, coldly.

"Well... I heard the stories about you, that's all," Jowan said.

"But my innocence is irrelevant, I have to keep Bella safe," Cullen said.

"So what do you want to do at your trial?" Jowan asked.

"I will plead guilty," Cullen said.


	11. Chapter Ten

Much to her chagrin, Bella was still following the large and cheerful mabari through the forest. She had run almost ten metres and was being to feel horrible pains in her ribs and spots began to dance through her vision like disco snowflakes on acid. The mabari sensed her exhaustion and skootched up under her feet, knocking her backward onto its back. Bella clung on to the dog with sheer desperation as the mabari raced through the forest.

Suddenly she found herself surrounded by tents and caravan thingies, the mabari had brought her into the Dalish camp without her even noticing. She half-slid, half-staggered from the large dog's back and sat on the grass panting until she could regain her breath. She looked around but the camp seemed deserted by elves.

"I guess there's no one here," she said to the mabari, which sneezed. Then suddenly she was surrounded by arrows pointing at her. Oh noes!

"The mabari breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark," a voice said. The mabari whined and Bella found her eyes drawn to the speaker. It was a handsome male Dalish, his golden tanned skin unmarred by any ugly tattoos, his hair ash blond, perfectly straight and impossibly long. His ears were delicately pointed and the entirety of him was so painfully beautiful Bella was struck dumb, well, more so than usual.

"Who are you and why are you trespassing on our lands with that... creature?" The beautiful elf asked.

"MynameisBellaAmellandIamafirstyearmageof theCircleTower," Bella said all in one breath, "I'mstudyingglyphswithaminorinarcanemagicandIhopesomedaytobecomeaspirithealer."

The elf raised one perfectly arched eyebrow, "And what is a Chantry Mage doing in the Brecilian Forest? You are long way from home, Bella Amell."

"I had some kind of magical... accident," Bella said, staring deep into the elf's forest green eyes. The other elves were all beautiful but sort of faded into the background and didn't get much screen time. Something burned in the elf's emerald orbs as Bella looked at him, he felt a strange urge to protect her.

"Our mages sometimes speak of a rare power, the power to walk through the Fade as though it were part of our world. To slip into the land of dreaming and to travel to other places instantly. 'Tis a rare power indeed, young magelet."

Bella blinked: "Shouldn't a mage be the one telling me this?" she asked.

"Male mages are boring wusses, that goes double for elves. While I'm a graceful but deadly warrior elf," he pointed out, "my name is Regoras, son of Relrond."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Bella said, and tripped over her own feet. Regoras' arms moved in a blur and he caught Bella before she nosedived into his chest. The mabari growled and Bella found herself blushing in the elf's clutches.

"I see your companion is somewhat protective of you," Regoras said and let go of her.

"If the Dalish know of this... Fade walking power, then can they teach me how to use it? I really need to get home before I am missed." Bella asked.

"Only you can master your power, human," Regoras said.

Bella's thoughts returned to Cullen and she found herself blushing again. "You don't understand, I left him thinking I hate him, I have to go back and make him love me again."

Regoras raised his eyebrows again: "Surely if this man is worthy of your love, he will understand," he said.

"But that's just it!" Bella protested. "He's not worthy of my love, he deserves so much more!"

The elf's mouth twitched: "You have much to learn of the world, young Bella Amell, cloistered and coddled as you are by the Chantry." They were walking back out into the forest, away from the camp, the mabari trailing at their heels.

"The Chantry keeps me safe," Bella protested as the elf walked at her side.

"Are you satisfied with safety, young human?" Regoras asked, stepping lightly over the grass. He turned suddenly and pinned Bella against a tree, his lips inches from hers. "You court danger by coming here," he whispered. The mabari barked, but no one came to rescue her.

"Let me go!" Bella said, franticly, while trying to struggle, feeling  Regoras' breath hot on her face. She was no match for the elf's mighty sinews, made strong with countless hours of archery. She couldn't cast a spell with his hands confining hers, she was helpless and no one would come to her aid.

"You are a fascinating creature, Bella," Regoras said, "I am curious to see if humans are the same as elves when it comes to courtship."

"Does pinning an elf to a tree mean you like her? In Bizarro world?" Bella said, still trying in vain to push him away.

"Any female I can dominate is my lawful prey," Regoras said, "if you weren't willing to bed me, you shouldn't have followed me back into the woods." He pressed his lips against hers forcefully: Her first kiss, stolen away by this rascally elfman.

A bone chilling howl filled the forest, something huge snatched the elf away from her and she was abruptly free. She looked around in fear and saw _something_ tearing the elf into tiny bleeding pieces. It was huge and dark and clawed, but that was all she could make out before she swooned in an appropriately maiden like fashion. Again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Order, order," Greagoir's voice rang out across the room, "the court is now in session. As honourable judge, jury and executioner, I hereby find the defendant completely and utterly guilty."

"Objection, your honour!" Jowan cried, sweat dripping down his face. "We haven't even had a trial yet!"

"I fail to see the relevance of that objection," Greagoir said, "however, since you have a very nice shiny attorney lawyering badge that is slightly dazzling to look at, I will allow a trial to take place."

"It's not actually a lawyer badge," Jowan muttered to Cullen, "it's an attraction charm."

"Oooh, shiny!" Cullen said. "But I thought we had agreed I was going to plead guilty?"

"Look, this is my first trial and I'm going to do it properly," Jowan said.

"Okay, let's get this farce over with," Greagoir muttered, slamming down his mighty gavel. "Call your first witness."

"Ummm, we don't have any witnesses," Jowan said. "We couldn't find any witnesses to Bella Amell's disappearance, neither for the defence or the prosecution."

"I conclude that the defendant has devoured all possible witnesses to his crime!" Greagoir yelled.

"Sir, if that were true, there would be a great deal of mess and blood and bones. In Bella Amell's last known location there is nothing but some flattened grass. If Bella was killed, if witnesses were killed,  then where is the evidence?"  Jowan asked.

"And where is the evidence to the contrary?" Greagoir asked. "I say you cannot prove the defendant did not kill and devour Bella Amell, therefore he must have done so."

"What possible motive could my client have for devouring a poor young mage?" Jowan asked.

"Why his very nature! He is tainted by the black blood of the darkspawn! We all know it!"

"If this is common knowledge why was my client permitted to become a Templar? Is it not the duty of your kind to destroy abominations where you find them?" Jowan asked.

"The Revered Mother herself requested he be allowed to join our ranks. It is her judgement that has brought us to this folly!"

"And how do you know Cullen is indeed tainted?" Jowan asked.

"I will prove it!" Greagoir said and unwound a silver necklace from his throat. "The blight burns in the presence of this metal." He approached Cullen and laid the chain across the pale man's perfect palm.

Cullen flinched and smoke rose from his hand. Greagoir's face lifted into a cruel smile and he peeled back the chain, showing a deep burn mark upon Cullen's palm.

"See? He is of the blighted blood! This all but proves his guilt!" Greagoir crowed. "Now, before I carry out my sentence, how does your client plead?"

Cullen stood up, his head jutting defiantly: "I plead guilty, your honour," he whispered.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Once again Bella found herself surrounded by darkness, she dream walked in the Fade. And there, standing before her wearing a white prom dress, was the Not!Bella. Just as ordinary and unremarkable as herself, only more so. Again, her eyes were fully of dark icky blackness from pale lid to pale lid.

"Great, another oh so deep and meaningful dream sequence!" Bella exclaimed in an exclamatory manner. "It's not like I could have normal random dreams like everyone else!"

Cullen appeared beside the not!Bella with his shirt off. His chest sparkled like one huge many faceted jewel of perfect pristine prettiness. "I wear the glitter, it does not wear me," Cullen said and waved a cheese slice at her. The smell of the phantom processed cheese slice was too much for Bella's delicate constitution and she vomited copiously all over the Not!Bella.

The vomit kept rising until the entire world was consumed with the vile belly bile. The only thing left was the Not!Bella's eyes. No starkbucks, no hot topic, no roller disco, just vomit and creepy goth eyes.

Bella awoke mumbling things about cheese slices. She blinked, looking at her surroundings. She was back in the cave where she had awoken before and Jacob was there, watching over her again. He was still wearing nothing but a tiny loincloth, but now he was dripping wet with water and his fantastic abs rippled in an ohmygosh pretty way.

Jacob pushed his dripping but oh so fine black hair out of his eyes and sat down on the nice soft green moss beside her.

"What happened?" Bella asked, thinking of how close she'd come to having naughty unwanted things done to her.

"That elf was trying to force himself upon you," Jacob said his voice shaking with his manly suppressed anger.  "I stopped him, _nuwita_," he said, locking his dark brown eyes deeply with her whatever shaded eyes.

Bella's eyes widened a bit as she remembered the something huge and scary tearing the elfman to shreds. "That was you? You were the thing who killed that horrible elf?"

"I just said that, _nuwita,_" Jacob said again, "I will kill all who dare to lay a hand on you."

"Wow," Bella said, "that's like really romantic and brave. I mean, it's totally okay for someone to kill a guy because he was handsy, right?"

"It is only the correct way to deal with a slight upon a woman's honour, fade forbid you defend yourself against attackers or trust the local law authorities to deal with them." Jacob directed a smouldering look at Bella and it was all she could do from swooning from the sheer masculinity the long haired hippy boy radiated towards her.

"Umm," Bella ummed in a vague way, probably unsure about something.

"What is it, _nuwita_?" Jacob asked, trapping her something coloured eyes with his twin dark orbs again.

"It's not that I don't like you or anything," Bella said, "I mean, I'm completely brain dead and useless, so I can see why I might appeal to any young strapping physically impressive spiritual guys like you, but I'm kind of seeing someone... sorta." Bella explained eloquently.

"That's okay, "Jacob said, "I wish only to be your companion and guide, until you wish it otherwise."

"How old are you, anyway?" Bella asked.

"Fifteen," Jacob said.

"Ohmygod Jailbait!" Bella exclaimed.

"But in dog years that's a hundred and five!" Jacob said and momentarily shifted into his mabari form to prove his point.

"And what about werewolf years?" Bella asked.

"Well that's about half-way between wolf and human, so I'm probably in my 50s or something."

"Wow, that's icky either way, really," Bella said.

"So," Jacob said, changing the subject, "did you find anything out about your weird magic accident before the elf tried to give make the beast with two backs with you?"

"I think I am a Fade Walker," Bella said, "it's an apparently weird and rare magically power that hardly anyone ever has. And since I'm the entire focus of the universe it stands to reason that I must have this power or it wouldn't have been mentioned at all."

"So you just need to learn how to use it?" Jacob laughed.

Bella smiled. "Don't be ridiculous, it's a rare ability that no one knows about, it's clearly going to work easily and instantly for me with no planning, preparation or training whatsoever."

"Cool," Jacob said and shifted back into his mabari form.

Bella smiled and patted the dog on the head, before shifting them both into the Fade.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TOOOO MEEE?" Jowan yelled as the wooden faggots were being piled up around him.

"I thought you were a lawyer," Cullen said, strangely calm while tied up to the wooden post. He looked gorgeously gorgeous and his hair was perfectly tousled. For some reason his shirt was off as well.

"I didn't know that defence lawyers joined their clients when found guilty!" Jowan said, crying a single perfect tear than made his heavy Goth eye makeup run in dark rivulets down his pasty face.

"There's nothing stopping you from fighting them if you so wish to do," Cullen said nobly. "I however, am prepared to die defending my love's freedom."

Jowan looked sadly over at Lily, who was wringing her hands with worry. "But my hands are tied," Jowan whined.

The Templars had finished building the fire around the two men tied to the wooden stake. Greagoir leered menacingly at them and rubbed his hands together with sheer wanton glee in their suffering. "What a grand day this truly is, to be finally rid of the abomination of a beast man Cullen and that annoying whiny &amp;&amp;&amp;&amp; Jowan."

"Greagoir you said a bad word!" Wynne protested.

"I can say &amp;&amp;&amp;&amp; if I want to, I'm the boss of the Templars!" Greagoir yelled.

"Not that word, the abom- the other one," Wynne said, blushing.

"Ah , I apologise," Greagoir said.

"That's quite alright," Wynne said. "Now let us commence with burning these &amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;ing heretics!" Wynne cheered.

"That seems a bit out of character for you," Jowan said, making puppy eyes at her.

"Whatever, I'm old and boring, I can't possibly be sympathetic to the plights of edgy kids!" Wynne said, reasonably.

"Man, everyone's against us," Jowan whined. "Game over, man, game over!"

Lily tearfully met Jowan's eyes as Greagoir began to light the fire. "I love you," she mouthed.

The kindling caught flame instantly and then suddenly guttered out.

"Cone of Cold, bitches!" Jowan said.

"I thought you couldn't use magic when your hands were tied?" Cullen asked.

"I used me feet!" Jowan said, proudly.

"Oh you fools!" Greagoir snapped and waved his hands around. "Cleanse Area!"

"Oh bitchcakes!" Jowan squealed as the area was purged of magic.

"Not so clever now, are you?" Greagoir said, leering once more. He lit the fire once more and this time the flames stayed alight, licking at the kindling with hungry tongues of flame that could never be satiated.

"I regret that I have but one life to give for love," Cullen said with no trace of fear or pain upon his face.

"I regret not doing the Antivan Oyster with Lily," Jowan said, tearfully, "she can put her ankles behind her head you know."

Greagoir turned to Lily with a horrid expression of triumph upon his face. "So he took you as a lover, did he? You broke your vows of chastity with this fell mage? Well you shall join him on the pyre!" Greagoir grabbed the poor Chantry lass and dragged her towards the flames.

"No, spare her, she is so innocent and pure!" Jowan screamed.

Lily screamed as Greagoir picked her up bodily and raised her pink-clad form over her head. He then staggered with the effort, because let's face it, Lily's a bit of a lard arse.

Just as it looked like they were all done for there was a rainbow coloured explosion and two figures appeared. The forms of Bella Amell and a mabari dog appeared before the flames. Bella tossed her hair and posed dramatically against a backdrop of a crescent moon that had appeared from somewhere.

"How dare you sentence these men to death when their only crime is loving too well! I can't forgive you, I, Bella Amell, will punish you, in the name of the Rune!" She waved a rune stone around and then threw it at Greagoir.

Greagoir's face became enraged and he gestured to the rest of the Templars. "She's an apostate now, see how she threatened me? Kill her!"


	13. Chapter Twelve

Bella faced Greagoir and the Templars bravely, her eyes sparkling with her unshed tears of fragile emotion, her lips a tremble with passion. She was no longer afraid of Templars, for she had seen that even the most darkest and fearful of creatures were capable of love, just as the most seemingly innocent and beautiful could be capable of dark deeds.

But still, she was not the kind of heroine that could actually fight her own battles, not when there were big strong men there who would fight to the death because they were dying of love for her. Her Fade Walker power made her a super special rare mage, but she certainly couldn't do something as crass as to use it to fight.

Bella pointed at Greagoir and the other Templars. "Sic 'em, dog," she said, with a certain twinkle in her eye. The mabari bounded his way into battle and howled, rooting them to the ground with dread fear turning leaden in their veins. Bella then used her Fade Walker power to shift directly behind Greagoir and undo his belt.

The Templar's violet battle skirt fell down, revealing pasty legs and a pair of very grubby y-fronts with little pictures of Andraste's sword lovingly embroidered on them.  Greagoir flushed crimson at this humiliating defeat, and rather than use his massive sword to cleave the fragile flesh of Bella Amell's corporeal form in twain, he fled into the woods, his skirt around his ankles, tripping him at every step.

Their leader humiliated the rest of the Templars sheepishly sheathed their swords and avoided meeting anyone's gaze. They muttered "Rhubarb, rhubarb" under their breaths and pretended the whole thing had never happened. Meanwhile Bella put out the flames that hungrily licked at the base of the stake with her simple ice spell.

"Oh thank the Maker!" Jowan cried as he was released from the embrace of the flames. He was covered in soot and makeup and tears and looked a dreadful sight. He went to embrace Lily but she flinched away from him, looking as he did.

"Maybe you could take a bath first?" Lily asked, her rolls of fat jiggling.

"What's with all the Lily fat jokes?" Jowan asked the sky, apparently not understanding that no woman can be prettier or nicer than Bell Amell and that this is why Wynne is a cranky old biatch and why Lily is fat and spotty.

Cullen walked out of the dwindling flames, untouched by fire or smoke. In the bright sunlight he scintillated like something really shiny. Bella's breath was taken away by his beauty as he strode towards her. She felt her heart convulsing with a wild impossible rhythm.

"Cullen... Cullen," she whispered, "I think I'm having a cardiac arrest."

"No Bella," Cullen said, smouldering mightily, "that's just love."

"Oh Cullen..."

"Oh Bella..."

In one strong manly stride he had closed the distance between them and there, in full sight of the assorted mages, Templars and extras he swept her back in a kiss so severely potent it tore the Fade into many many bits. His lips were icy cold over hers and she swooned into his masculine embrace, her arms clinging to him as though he were life itself.

Bella had truly come home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The night came and went and before you ask no they didn't do it, because Bella was a Good Girl and Good Girls wait until their wedding nights. Wynne rose early and checked the calendar and realised it was the end of the term, that meant it was time for the Mages to go on their summer holidays. Greagoir had not been seen since he ran off with his skirt hanging round his ankles, but such a minor thing like that would not stop the time honoured tradition of making the mages go on holiday.

Wynne placed a map of the known world on her desk and used a dowsing pendulum to find the location of this year's holiday resort. The pendulum swung until it hit  a tiny beach resort in Orlais. Wynne nodded solemnly and put the map and pendulum away. Then she ran to the top of the staircase and yelled "WE'RE ALL GOING ON AN ORLAISIAN HOLIDAY!"

Immediately the tower erupted with Templars, mages, apprentice mages, magelets, magi and magitarians, all wearing matching costumes, straw boaters and carrying suitcases. As one they broke into song and danced with stunningly perfect choreography.

"_We're all going on an Orlaisian holiday!_

_No more magic for a week or two!_

_Fun and laughter on an Orlaisian holiday!_

_No more possessions for me and you!_

_For a week or two!_

_We're going where the solei shines brightly!_

_We're going where la mer c'est blue!_

_We've heard it in the ballards!_

_So let's see if it's true!_

_Everybody has an Orlaisian holiday!_

_Doing things you're not supposed to do!_

_So we're going on an Orlaisian holiday!_

_To Maker, dreams come True_

_Pour moi et vous!_

_Pour moi et vous!"_

Wynne rubbed her temples then put on a pointed hat and suddenly gained a suspicious Scottish accent.

"Naew, if you you weal all follow me to the broom closest we can board our brooms and be on our wae."

Once all the students had gotten their brooms and took off, it was a simple matter of flying their broomstick until they reached the Ferelden conduit, which would instantly jump them to the Orlaisian conduit. From there, they would refuel their sticks with magic and make a short journey to their beach resort.

Bella flew side by side with Cullen, she was riding side-saddle, of course, because she was a Good Girl. Jacob was in mabari form, riding in a basket on her bristles, but she had almost forgotten about him. She was going to spend an entire fortnight in Orlaisian with her wonderful Templar Honey Bunny!

What could possibly go wrong?


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Cullen let the dark wind caress his red hair (it's totally red in the toolset, guys, I checked) as the dying embers of the campfire died down dead, just like Cullen. If he were a mortal man he would have shivered in the chill breeze, but he was no mortal man, his soul was tainted by a dark malevolent force that drove him to thirst endlessly for sustenance.

Cullen was ravenous for haemoglobin goodness, as always, but alas, there was no Macky D's within broom range of the Orlasian resort. So Cullen was forced to survive on blood sausage, which was unfortunately heavily flavoured with garlic. Garlic didn't do anything bad to Cullen, because he was a super speshul sparklepire, it just made his breath hella stink, with was far more worse an encumbrance than making him run away or burning his flesh, naturally. He chewed heavily on spearmint leaves as a result, so that he was also minty fresh as well as sparkly, just the way Bella liked it.

He just enjoying the scent of his cold breath when all the tiny dark (and red) silky hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He was of the taint, kin to the dark spawn, and so he could sense when they were nearby, you know, like a Grey Warden, but without that pesky dying in thirty years thing. Cullen was sure that something evil bestirred itself in the woods by the resort, even as he sensed it. Something fowl lurked in the darkness and sought to satiate its dark lusts.

Then the air was rent with a horrible blood curdling sound.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Bella screamed, suddenly bolting upright from the bunk.

"I didn't hear anything," Jowan said.

"I did," Marisu said, her pointed ears twitching. "It sounded like... clucking."

"Oh you and your enhanced elven hearing," Bella said, rolling her eyes, "I suppose you have to compensate somehow for being three fifths of a person."

Marisu giggled, it was clearly fine for Bella to make such elfist comments because her best friend was an elf and that was okay with her.

Bella's skin tingled as though she had suddenly jumped into a icy sea of inky black death. "Cullen my adorable redheaded boyfriend vampire man is in trouble! Only I can possibly help him, despite the fact he is a super strong Templar man and I am wussy little mage with ultra rare, but practically useless powers!" she said, her eyes round like round things that were circular.

"Go go team mage!" Cullen cried as the three sped away while the Charlie's Angels theme played in the background.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile Harry and Hermoine were still sleeping off the effects of the Veritaserum, the potion that had made them finally admit their intense carnal passions for each other. Ron and Dobby looked on lovingly at the sleeping pair, while holding hands, glad that the wizarding world had finally acknowledged that platonic love can exist between a wizard and a house elf. In the next room  Hagrid supported a sobbing Draco Malfoy: "Why didn' yer tell me yer were a half veela, Draco?" Hagrid asked. "I woulda used protection if I'd have known yer could get pregnant!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"What in the fade was that?" Jowan asked.

"Woof," said Jacob, who was in wolf form and had been there the entire time. The author hadn't forgotten about him at all.

"Oh I see," Jowan said, "that explains everything!"

"Oh noes!" Bella said when they arrived at the scene.

"How horrible!" Marisu exclaimed.

"What are we reacting to?" Jowan asked. "There hadn't been any description yet! How am I supposed to react correctly if I don't know what I'm reacting to?!"

Jowan, who incidentally is a whiny biatch who wears too much makeup, quite clearly saw the horrible battlefield that lay before them. As many as three (that's as many as three ones and that's _terrible_) Templars lay stunned or dying in the trampled remains of the campsite, each prone form bearing horribly beak and claw marks. And there, in the midst of the ashes of the campfire was the most horrible scene of all.

"Oh. Gasp." Jowan said in the monotone voice of someone who is not going to be getting his full acting fee come wrap-up, let me tell you. Jowan then proceeded to squeal in horror at the top of his voice, which was a little more appropriate to the scene that we will now commence to describe.

For there, locked in a fearsome battle twixt life and death, were Bella's heart's love, Cullen Edwards, and the most monstrous creature that ever strutted across the barnyard of hell.

It was...

"Yes?" Jowan said.

IT WAS....

"Please get on with it, I have to appear in Twiblight Extra: The Story Behind The Sparkle in ten minutes!" Bella said.

...an eight foot chicken.

Jowan and Marisu exchanged wary glances with each other. Marisu mumbled something about calling her agent and Jowan rolled his eyes skywards.

But it was no mere chicken, it was evil manifest. Its feathers were razor sharp and were the colour of diseased flesh. It's comb was formed of blood red spikes, that glistened with horrible ichor. And even as the three mages watched, the Henlocke trapped Cullen in its downy wings of doom.

How would they ever manage to defeat such a fowl beast?


	15. Chapter Thirteen

The journey had passed quickly almost as if it had never taken place and a dissolve effect had been used to instantly shift to the Orlaisian resort. The Templars, mages, apprentice mages, magelets, magi and magitarians had quickly settled into the quaint holiday village, Bella sharing a sweet little holiday bungalow with her BFF Marisu Surana, who was almost as pretty, smart, plucky, slender, and fragile as Bella, but not quite as good because she was an elf and not the main character.

After a big dinner of _les poisson et frite, les saucisses et purée de pommes de terre_ and a dessert _une génoise aux raisins secs _ Bella was stuffed from all the strange and rich foreign dishes. She and Marisu retired to the lounge for a good bit of girl talk. Naturally, Jowan was also invited.

"The thing is about me and Lily," Jowan said while Marisu braided his hair and Bella painted his fingernails a nice shade of gothic black, "she's this sweet saintly virginal vessel for Andraste's word-"

"Virginal?" Bella asked, blushing crimson because only Bad Girls did It before marriage.

"Well she _was_!" Jowan protested. "Anyway she's all pink and fluffy, whereas I am manipulating dark forces that mortal man was never meant to tamper with and conjuring malignant entities that are beyond the ken of our fragile and limited understanding."

"Who's Ken?" Marisu asked.

"Oh never mind," Jowan said, sighing like the overgrown teenage emo boy he was,."She just keeps asking me 'Where do you see this relationship going?' and I just don't know."

"Mmmhmm," Marisu mmmbled, her mouth full of hairclips.

"Well it seems to me, " Bella began, with all the authority of someone who'd had a boyfriend for a whole two days, "that Lily simply isn't your true love. She's too different! It would be like a human marrying Marisu!" Marisu nodded mutely in agreement. "Like should marry like, it's the way of the world."

"But what about Cullen?" Jowan asked, his heavily made up eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. "Not only is he a Templar, while you're a mage, but he's also a soul-sucking darkspawn hell-bent on death, destruction and possible cannibalism!"

"Oh Jowan, you're so silly!" Bella exclaimed while laughing girlishly. "The rules don't apply to me! Don't you know that by now?"

Jowan face palmed, smudging his nail varnish.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cullen posed dramatically, water dripping off his magnificent cheasticles and floopy hair. He was clad in nothing but a white towel, which clung to his nether parts like a very fluffy lover. He had just showered, bathing with the other Templars in a communal shower. The room had been very hot, very steamy and full of naked manbits that can't be described in this teen rated work of fiction. It was a good thing Bella hadn't been there, otherwise she have expired in a maidenly fashion from the blood that would have spurted forth from her nose.  And, let's face it, Cullen probably would have drunk it.

Once the Templars were all squeaky clean, Ser Smithee, the Temporary Templar leader while Greagoir had gone AWOL, led the young and well muscled pieces of man meat outside, to tell tall tales, giggle about girls and roast marshmallows on the fire. Cullen didn't like delicious smores, they went straight to his hips.

It was dark outside, not surprising, as it was night, and since they were far from any of the big and loud Orlaisian cities, there was little in way of light. This meant that the view of the stars was unparalleled, despite the fact that the island of the Circle Tower also had excellent views of the celestial lights.

"It's a clear night tonight," Ser Smithee said, poking the crackling camp fire with a stick. "in fact it was a night like this, clear and calm, that the dreaded Henlocke took its first victim."

"The dreaded Henlocke?" Cullen asked, curious despite the generic disdain for authority figures that curled his lip.

"Aye, the Henlocke, laddie," Ser Smithee said, "a fowl beast indeed. A chicken born not of a mortal hen, but hatched in the very depths of hell itself. It roams the lands, by night, its mournful clucking striking dread into the hearts of those poor souls who are unlucky enough to hear. No one knows what fowl countenance the winged beast may have, or what unusual size it can grow to, for none who have laid eyes on it have lived to tell the tale. The Henlocke leaves naught but bodies and chicken feathers in its fearful wake."

Cullen shuddered, for if there was one creature that was struck fear into his dark heart, it was a chicken. He hoped that this fowl tale was simple no more than a story crafted by Ser Smithee in an attempt to entertain his new wards. And it had worked too well, for many of the other Templars were now quivering with fear.

"_Aww puckpuckpuckaaaw_!" The sudden noise venting from Ser Smithee's lips made the Templars jump out of their skins and many did voice their fright with girlish shrieks of terror and there was nary a pair of drawers that t'were not soaked in cowardly piss.

"Oh," Ser Smithee scoffed, "bunch of chickens, all of you!"

Cullen face palmed, smudging his pale lipstick.


	16. Chapter 15

"Mabari, growl attack now!" Bella yelled, reacting quickly to the scene before her.

Jowan suddenly started yelling into his mage staff.:"Dog-Jacob used Dread Howl on the Henlocke, but it wasn't very effective!"

Bella reached for her mage's utility belt, where she kept her travel sized  summoning tomes, okay summoning cards. She had only just bought the belt, which was why it had not featured in the story up until now. She grasped the first one in her clumsy fingers and thrust it dramatically into the air.

"Lothering Heights, I choose you!" Bella shouted.

A bolt of brown energy zapped out of the tiny piece of cardboard and struck the ground before the Henlocke, while Cullen writhed futily against the weight of its deadly wings. The energy formed into the shape of a short young woman, with a very severe hairstyle, dressed in a dowdy brown dress that turned into a miniskirt once it fell past her hips. Despite the drab plainness of her hair, she had several sparkling hair clips and a jewelled tiara resting upon her head. Her dowdy dress was covered with  multi-coloured ribbons and there was the faintest suggestion of wings around her shoulders.

Bella glanced at her summon, it was almost as pretty and as ordinary as she was, but not quite.

"Lothering Heights, use your Melodrama Wail on the enemy!" Bella commanded.

The summoned Brontë soldier let out an ear piercing shriek: "KAAAATHY! HEEEEATHCLIIIIIFEEE!"

"Lothering Heights used Melodramatic Wail on the Henlocke, it was super-effective!" Jowan yelled.

The Henlocke staggered and let Cullen go.

"The Henlocke became confused, it dropped Sparklepire in its confusion!" Jowan said, as though that wasn't obvious.

Bella quickly dragged Cullen away from the Henlocke, wrenching both her shoulders as she did so.

"Trainer Bella received Sparklepire!" Jowan added.

Then the Henlocke shrieked in anger as it saw that its shiny toy had been torn away from it. It began to flap its horrendous wings.

"The Henlocke uses Wing Gust on Lothering Heights!" Jowan pointed out.

Bella's Summon began to cough, clutching at her chest, while the faintest trace of blood bubbled forth from her lips.

"Lothering Heights is taking lung damage!" Jowan screeched.

The Summon gasped desperately for breath before swooning in an appropriately modest manner, her mini skirt showing off her underwear.

"Lothering Heights has fainted!" Jowan said, stating the obvious.

"Oh no," Bella cried as her summon slipped away into blackness. Bella immediately grasped the next tome in her mage utility belt and thrust it skywards. "Blight and Prejudice I choose you!" Bella cried.

The lighting once again shot forth from the piece of cardboard. It formed into a severe but dashingly handsome man, wearing a tuxedo and a mask. His tuxedo was  soaking wet as though he had just jumped into a lake. He was almost as snootilecious as Cullen, but not quite. He frowned at the Henlocke and the situation in general.

"Blight and Prejudice use your Smouldering Gaze!" Bella yelled.

Tuxedo Darcy curled his lip in contempt: "In a society such as this? It would be insupportable!" he sneered, ignoring Bella's desperate pleas for help.

"Blight and Prejudice's snooty level is too high, he ignored Trainer Bella's commands!" Jowan cried desperately.

The Henlocke cried out with a screech most fowl and flapped its dread wings once more. The resulting gusts of wind turned into a sudden hurricane and slammed directly into Bella and her friends. Bella and Cullen were thrown straight into the sky, Marisu collided with a tree and fell down dead.  Dog-Jacob stuck his claws into the ground and hung on for dear life. Jowan wrapped his arms about a tree and managed to yell "The Henlock used Whirlwind! It was super effective!" before the howling winds had him too and he went sailing through the air.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cullen awoke suddenly and sat bolt upright. "I have to find Bella!" He cried and ran forwards. He instantly collided with some kind of barrier and glance off, sending him sprawling. Maniacal but musical laugher filled his ears as he clutched at his aching arms, much to his chagrin. Where was his strength? His dark energy?

"Who's there?" he cried, seeking a source of the diabolical laughter that rang in his ears. He pushed against the invisible walls around him, discovering his was in a small circular cell.

There was a flash of light and a purple skinned Desire Demon materialised outside of his cell. Her eyes were as black as night and her horns flashed with purple lightning. "Who are you and what have you done with Bella?" Cullen demanded, pummelling the wall with his fists.

"Oh you poor fool, haven't you realised yet?" the demon said, sensuously, and Cullen recognised her voice though all his senses screamed in denial.

"Bella?" He asked, stupidly, as reality slowly dawned upon him in horror.

"There is no Bella Amell, fool!" the Desire Demon said, in Bella's voice.

"That can't be true! I love her!" Cullen yelled, hitting the barrier with all his might.

"Silly little Templar can't tell fact from fiction," the demon said, teasingly. "Did you not notice how completely ridiculous my little story was? Did you really think you were some sparkly demon kin?"

Cullen looked down at himself, he was no longer as handsome or as sparkly as he had been when was in the demon's delusion. His fists were bleeding from pounding against the barrier and his blood was ordinary, not dark and tainted. He was a normal man who had been toyed with by a demon.

"Bella!" He cried out once more, in denial, as the demon's laugher echoed around him.


End file.
